1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a metal powder production apparatus for producing metal powder from molten metal.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a metal powder production apparatus (atomizer) that pulverizes molten metal into metal powder by an atomizing method has been used in producing metal powder. Examples of the metal powder production apparatus known in the art include a molten metal atomizing and pulverizing apparatus disclosed in JP-B-3-55522.
The molten metal atomizing and pulverizing apparatus is provided with a molten bath nozzle for ejecting molten bath (molten metal) in a downward direction and a water nozzle having a flow path through which the molten bath ejected from the molten bath nozzle passes and a slit opened into the flow path. Water is injected from the slit of the water nozzle.
The apparatus of the prior art mentioned above is designed to produce metal powder by bringing the molten bath passing through the flow path into collision with the water injected from the slit to thereby disperse the molten bath in the form of a multiplicity of fine liquid droplets and then allowing the multiplicity of fine liquid droplets to be cooled and solidified.
However, in the apparatus of the prior art mentioned above, the clearance of the slit is excessively enlarged by the pressure of the water flowing therethrough. As a result, water pressure is dropped in the water nozzle. This water pressure drop causes a problem of overly reducing the flow velocity of the water injected from the slit. Therefore, since the ability for the fast-flowing water to pulverize the molten bath is decreased, fine-sizing of the metal powder cannot be made. This makes it difficult to obtain fine powder of a desired particle size.